Workout Wisdom....Are you doing what it takes to Get Results?

Ok...so I have had more than one client say to me...I don't want to bulk up....I need to lower my weights.....

As I thought about this....I wanted to wright a little newsletter - because it is a common issue with women and you must change your way of thinking.

First of all - if you are serious about wanting RESULTS -(a smaller, tighter, defined body) - the only way to do that is by losing FAT and keeping hard earned muscle.  And the only way to do that is TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!

By getting out of your comfort zone, I am talking about:

1 - meals you eat - they require planning and effort - but you have to do this to get results you want

2 - training hard in your workouts!  This means lifting heavier than you are comfortable and pushing yourself harder than you are used to..... you should be sweating, grunting and pushing yourself.

3 - if you are a woman, you are not going to bulk up....it is physically impossible unless you are lifting extremely heavy weights and eating a ton of protein.  It is really hard for women to put on that kind of muscle and believe me, you are not going to do it lifting 10 and 15 pound dumbbells.  Most of you have purses that weight more than this and are lifting kids and grandkids that weight more than this.  

4 - The key to burning fat is adding muscle. A recent study compared weight lifting to aerobic exercise.  Both groups lost 26 pounds.  The strength training group lost only fat while the aerobics group lost 8 % of their weight from muscle.  

5 - your priority workout should be one that boosts metabolism, burns calories, builds muscles and creates an afterburn effect.  Weight training does this....but you have to challenge yourself and train hard.

You have to place a demand on your body different from what it is used to for it to change.  That is why we change up the workouts often, use kettlebells, body weight, dumbbells, bands, etc.  

Increasing your lean muscle mass will burn the fat......and you will be burning more calories while doing nothing....which is always good!

I am here to educate you.....so please keep reading.  

Aerobic exercise is important for healthy heart and lungs and should be part of every fitness routine.  However if you are focusing on just cardio and staying the "old school fat burning zone".(aka the steady state cardio)...you are not going to get the results you are looking for. Here's why.

Your body is very efficient at adapting.  That is what we do....so....your body will adapt to the same routines and expect and begin to store fat in anticipation of it.  That is why you need to change it up with BURST of all out effort - remember - out of the comfort zone.  If you walk or run for cardio - you have to up the intensity with speed or incline.  

Want evidence?  Look at the photos below of endurance athletes (marathon runners) and how soft they are verses a track and field athlete....lean and sculpted.  Burst of all out effort is key to keeping your body guessing and keeping that metabolism and fat burning furnace working.  

that's my Girl - Allyson Felix!

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Yours in health - 

Ally

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Why are you doing so much CARDIO? What should you be doing to lose FAT!

Many people focus on cardio when trying to lose body fat, but that approach will not help you achieve your goals.  You want to lose body fat, not calorie burning muscle tissue, right? So what do you need to do in your workouts to lose the fat?

Strength training is your magic bullet when trying lose weight and inches. Having more muscle boosts your metabolic rate. Muscle is definitely your friend when you’re trying to shed body fat.  You need a fitness burns fat and preserves and builds muscle. Here are some tips from Ally on strength training when you’re trying to lose body fat.

What Exercises should you Focus on for fat loss?  Compound Exercises!

Compound strength exercises are ones that target more than one muscle group at a time. These include squats, lunges, push ups, bent-over rows, presses and deadlifts. The reason you want to focus on these types of exercises is, the more muscle groups you use during a strength training exercise, the more calories you’ll burn. Also, using more muscle groups has a greater metabolic or “fat burning” effect.

Isolation exercises that work only one muscle group (like a bicep curl or leg extension) are important for shaping muscles and building symmetry but they burn fewer calories and do not burn the fat like compound exercises. If your goal is fat loss, make your strength moves compound and dynamic. When doing lunges, combine them with bicep curls. With squats, do an overhead press. Use as many muscle groups as possible. This will get the fat burning furnace going. 

What amount of weight is require to lose fat?  Lift Heavy – don’t be AFRAID!

Do not be afraid of bulking up!  It is really difficult for women to put on that much muscle. You have to life heavy weight to stimulate the muscle to change your body, period.  Lifting heavy will activate fat-burning hormones and rev up your metabolism. Lifting light weights will have little impact on your metabolism or the shape of your muscles. The most it will do is build muscle endurance. Go for the challenging weights and see a positive change in your body.

How does Cardio Fit in to to the Fat Loss Puzzle?  Make sure it is High Intensity Cardio

High-intensity cardio will help you burn more fat just like lifting heavier weight.  Short periods of high-intensity cardio forces your body to work harder during and after a workout. High intensity cardio, like strength training, has the “after burn” factor which helps your body burn more calories up to 48 hours after your workout!  That is a GOOD Return on you exercise time!  To lose fat you MUST get out of your comfort zone. Think high-intensity interval training and metabolic strength training – these are you FAT FIGHTING SUPER FRIENDS aka the DYNAMIC DUO!  Check out the

AllyFitness metabolic training programs by clicking here.

Should you Incorporate Circuit Training?  Yes!

One or two days a week, do circuit strength training. With circuit training you do strength training sets with little or no rest between exercises. Moving quickly from exercise to exercise without rest burns more calories and maximizes the amount of volume you can do during a single training session. Who doesn’t want to save time?

What is The Bottom Line?

Strength training MUST be a part of your fitness program if you are trying to lose fat.  It is important for maintaining healthy bones as you age and prevent age related weight gain by keeping your metabolism high.

Click here to schedule your complementary consultation with Ally Today. 

References: IDEA Fitness. “New Insights into Circuit Training”

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Join me on the Road to October 9th

Well, this is it.  This is the year I turn 50!  I still cannot believe it. I really feel about 30.

My goal is to be the most fit I have ever been.  A little of bit of history......I used to run all the time.  I thought I was the most fit when I ran about 5 miles per day.  Keep in mind, that was about all I did.  I would do a few weights here and there, but mostly just cardio.  I really thought I was strong and fit.

Then it came to my attention that I was not doing enough strength training.  In an attempt to balance out my fitness routine, I had purchased some weights and a mat.  I had tried doing some workouts on my own, but struggled with the motivation and what exactly to do.  I purchased a workout DVD on line.  I remember doing that video for the first time and the lady on the video was doing push ups.  I was really surprised and upset that I could not do a push up.  From that moment forward, I was on a quest to be able to do perfect, straight leg push ups.  From there my idea of what fit was changed dramatically.

the turning point happened when I developed plantar fasciitis in both feet.  I knew I had to stop running.  At that point I could barely walk.  I dug out the weights and researched different types of workouts that would challenge me in both strength and cardio vascular areas.

Before I was running an hour a day and adding in a bit of strength 2 times per week.  So that was 6 plus hours of exercising each week.

I changed that to strength circuits for 45 minutes, 3 days a week (total of 2.5 hours exercise per week). After six weeks, I had dropped a pants size without even realizing it. This was about 10 years ago.  This was one of the major factors that made me decide to become a personal trainer.

As women we are programmed to believe that we need to be doing long cardio sessions to be fit, that we should avoid lifting heavy weights and we should stick to machines.  This is the furthest from the truth.  Long cardio sessions take a lot of time and can lead to overuse injuries - like plantar fasciitis, knee issues, IT band issues, etc.

Long duration cardio workouts do not burn fat.  They actually make your body hold onto fat and prevent your from burning it.

Strength training is the magic bullet in the fat burning formula.  You need to challenge yourself with a heavy enough weight to fatigue the muscle after 12 reps.  You need to get your heart rate up WAY higher than the old fat burning zone for about 20 to 40 seconds and then recover.  This is how you burn fat.

So.......my road to October 9th.  I am going to incorporate 1 to 2 high intensity interval workouts per week. ( This will more than likely be a hill run in my neighborhood.  Those hills kill me.  The run takes about 25 to 30 minutes and my heart rate gets really high on the hills.).  I am going to do 1 workout per week that incorporates very heavy weight for strength and 2 workouts that focus on metabolic conditioning. I am going to stretch for 20 minutes every day. I am going to eat very clean and hopefully be the most fit I have ever been, with a very balanced fitness plan.

And then I plan to go hang gliding on lookout mountain in Chattanooga.  So, want to join me on the road to October 9th?

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Three Great Bodyweight Exercises For Fat Burning

Here are 3 great bodyweight exercises you can do anytime, anywhere to help you burn fat fast and stay energized. You don't need to buy any fancy equipment.

1. Single-Leg Exercise:
The single-leg squat to the floor exercise is one of the most effective bodyweight workout. You can also do single-leg squats with a band, or with a Stability Ball between your back and the wall.

2. Decline Push-ups
These are harder than normal pushups because your feet are elevated. In this position, you can use a close-grip to fatigue your triceps, a "piked-hip position" to build your shoulders, or even the Spiderman leg motion to work on your abs.

3. Bodyweight Inverted Rows
Most people choose these over chinups and pullups because bodyweight rows let your chest rest, while your back is strengthened. It's the perfect compliment to a pushup.

Do 8-12 repetitions per exercise. Don't rest between exercises. Go through the circuit up to 3 times, resting 1 minute after each circuit.

Go to Turbulence Training for more workout tips that can get you in shape fast.

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